Classic Rock Spotlight Countdown Critiques

[albe]

Ok guys and dolls this weekend on WBME's Classic Rock Spotlight Countdown (1-25-75) promises to be pack with memorable tracks. And to get you salivating for the real deal here's my critique for the lower third of the countdown (30-21). Stay tune for the next two installments (20-11) & (10-1) in the upcoming days.

Remember CRSC takes some time off until March..so get your fix while it's still around!!!


30 Rock N Roll Feeling - Styx : With lead vocals by James Young, a slamming feel good rock n roll song that uses the piano superbly in this classic

29 Carpet Crawlers - Genesis: A song to initiate much debate on who performs this song better (Phil vs Peter). Another magical performance by Genesis regardless of who leads

28 Killer Queen - Queen: Dare I find any reason not to love Queen!!!

27 County Fair -Joe Walsh: One of his best songs from the Album "So What". Can't help but love the guitar in this track

26 Life - GRAND FUNK: One of two songs by GF in this week's countdown. A deep soul searching song, gives you a moment to truly reflect on the direction of today's world. Timeless Classic!!

25 Soon - Yes: To do the arrangement on this track even back then was remarkable. Yes was ahead of their time and the music was almost pivotal new age.

24 Dark Horse - GEORGE HARRISON: A great song by one great musican

23 Raised On Rock - JOHNNY WINTER: The guitar solo is outta this world. Johnny rocks on this classic Rock Anthem!!!

22 Only One Woman - NIGEL OLSSON: Written by the Greatest Brothers Band EVER!!! (BEE GEES). This is a smooth groove to really get you in the mood. I wonder what this song has in common with this week's No. 1 ...Hmmmmm

21 Wolfman Jack - TODD RUNDGREN featuring WOLFMAN JACK: A great feel good song plus a convertible and you be tripping all the way.

[dukedeb]

You are getting a double dose of critiques for the Classic Rock Spotlight Countdown. Except I will do all 30 songs. There are several extras that Jeff Michaels adds so you will have to tune in to see what they are.

30. ROCK AND ROLL FEELING..Styx...they may have a song much higher and recognized at #7 but this is the rocker.
29. CARPET CRAWLER..Genesis...before Phil Collins and pop/rock, it was Peter Gabriel and progressive rock for Genesis
28. KILLER QUEEN..Queen...breakthrough hit for Queen, a common fair rock song which was uncommon for them as it turned out
27. COUNTY FAIR...Joe Walsh...mistitled Country Fair by some, a majestic song from his appropriately titled So What Lp...a later Lp would be titled But Seriously Folks!
26. LIFE..Grand Funk...one of the harder songs Grand Funk was known for in their early days
25. SOON..Yes...check this one out to see how long it goes as it is a very long and beautiful song
24. DARK HORSE..George Harrison...every Beatle is in this countdown (sorry to spoil it for anyone), George is the only one with 2 songs
23. RAISED ON ROCK..Johnny Winter...great guitar solo from one of the greatest at that
22. ONLY ONE WOMAN..Nigel Olsson...a cover of a Bee Gees song that featured the whole Elton John band including Elton himself...I do prefer his 1979 songs
21. WOLFMAN JACK..Todd Rundgren...this is 1 of 4 songs referring to the wolfman that I have heard over the years
20. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL...Joe Pleasure Poleer...the man with the raspy voice with the signature ballad of his career
19. MOVIN' ON..Bad Company...first of 2 straight songs by bands who either originated or came from bands that had huge hits in 1970...Paul Rodgers 'moved on' from Free to Bad Co.
18. DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU...Sugarloaf...prefer that big 1970 hit Green Eyed Lady but this one does not pale in comparison
17. ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY...Bachman-Turner Overdrive...they are into their similar sound song stage at this point
16. DANCIN FOOL..Guess Who...Randy Bachman's former band is at its swan song now
15. DING DONG..George Harrison...prefer his other song
14. CHANGES...David Bowie...signature song for David and one of my faves of his
13. BIG YELLOW TAXI...Joni Mitchell....don't know why she gave this song to the Neighborhood in 1970..one of the best female voices in rock
12. THE ENTERTAINER...Billy Joel...the piano man is just getting started having had his hit of that title several months earlier
11. CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD...ELO...breakthrough hit for Jeff Lynne and co. who had "Roll Over Beethoven" before this
10. ONLY YOU...Ringo Starr....From 1973-75, Ringo was actually the most prevalent Beatle on the charts...who would have predicted that?
9. #9 DREAM...John Lennon...one of my fave Lennon tunes at the right position...too bad he went on hiatus after this
8. FREE BIRD...Lynyrd Skynyrd...no doubt it was #1 on stations in the South...this week and probably for all time, signature song for the guys
7. LADY...Styx...power ballad before the term existed and before Tommy Shaw joined the band
6. BLACK WATER...Doobie Brothers...B side of Another Park, Another Sunday was the last hit with Tom Johnston on board
5. JUNIOR'S FARM...Paul McCartney...of course the highest Beatle is Sir Paul, tossup between this and #9 Dream as to my fave on this show
4. BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE...Jethru Tull...more known for their radio hits such as "Aqualung" but still one of their best songs
3. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL..Grand Funk...another band with a lot of album success early on who then confounded the critics who thought they were too loud...they are too muscle bound on the cover of their album.....oh, that's right, those are not the band members on All the Girls in the World Beware...lol
2. BEST OF MY LOVE...Eagles....this would be the year that the Eagles would enter supergroup territory and become America's top group of the decade, a classic ballad here and then my fave Eagles tune, One of These Nights later in 1975
1. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS...Elton John...who better to have the first and IIRC still the only cover of a Beatles tune to hit #1 than the top act of the 70s.. this would be one of the songs that made him the top act of 1975 and the 70s, great song. Should be a great show too!

[Jeff Michaels]

Looking forward to Albe's conclusion for his take on songs in the show. There are several extras as well (60's Flashback, Artist Profile, Album releases, top 5 albums PLUS one of the 30 is flipped over for our B-Side spotlight!)

[Jeff Michaels]

In reply to Albe's getting your fix, Every wpisode of the 12 will air in February on the weekend schedule. You'll have your chance to hear ones you may have missed!

The CRSC returns the weekend of March 3rd!

[albe]

Here's part 2 of this week's CRSC (1-25-75) airing 28-29 Jan 2012

20. YOU ARE SO BEAUTIFUL - Joe Pleasure Poleer: If there ever was a ballad to melt a woman's heart JC does this song immaculately!!!

19. MOVIN' ON - Bad Company: Almost forgot about this song..probably one of the happiest around.

18. DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU - Sugarloaf: A nice catchy riff in this track...see if you hear it!!

17. ROLL ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY - Bachman-Turner Overdrive: There is only one way to listen to this song....PUMP IT UP!!!

16. DANCIN FOOL - Guess Who: Burton Cummings is synonymous with great music and this song is no exception

15. DING DONG - George Harrison: Vintage George..man I miss the Beatles

14. CHANGES - David Bowie: The song epitomizes what the 70's was all about...great period of my life

13. BIG YELLOW TAXI - Joni Mitchell: Following on the heels of "Changes" Joni really showed her predictive nature in this song as to how the future was gonna change

12. THE ENTERTAINER - Billy Joel: Genius lyrics...how does he come up with these song and music.

11. CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD - ELO: Trust me when you hear this song...you really can't get it out of your head..Classic ELO!!

[albe]

Here's the Top 10 for (1-25-75)

10. ONLY YOU - Ringo Starr: Give a listen to the Platters after you hear Ringo...he truly had a style of his own!!

9. #9 DREAM - John Lennon: Great relaxing feel to this song..John's voice is melodious.Probably my favorite song on the countdown.

8. FREE BIRD - Lynyrd Skynyrd: CLASSIC CLASSIC CLASSIC!!! Man this is rock at its best!!!

7. LADY - Styx: Another great song that paved the way for all their future success

6. BLACK WATER - Doobie Brothers: This song is true embodiment of the south!

5. JUNIOR'S FARM - Paul McCartney: Don't forget to take a breath at the end of this song...One of Wings greatest

4. BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE - Jethru Tull: "Got Flute" Tull´s just ingenious! great musicans! You get the jungle and I'll bring the bungle

3. SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL - Grand Funk: Wish I could have seen them perform this song live that would have been one hell of a jam session

2. BEST OF MY LOVE - Eagles: A brilliant ballad. Song reminds me of my exgirlfriend...how I loved that girl.

1. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS - Elton John: Top Act of the 70s + A classic song written by the greatest band ever = "NUMBER 1" Can't beat the combination for this week.


This week's countdown proves the greatness of the Beatles...no less that 5 tracks featuring all members of the "Fab Four"(3 in the top 10 and 2 by George) and a remake which hits number 1. Enjoy the show..I know I will!!!!

[Jeff Michaels]

REPORT ON 1-25-75:

4 or 5 songs had to go under the knife to form fit it to the 3 hours 12 minutes time limit. 2 of the artists that had cuts happen have been cut in the last few weeks. (I do not EVER cut the #1 song)

There are 5 songs in the Artist Profile on Crosby Stills Nash & Young
There are 3 Album Releases Bonus Tracks played
There is a 60's flashback from 1968
One song is played from the top 5 albums of the week.
There is one misc extra added in.

And Elton John appears 4 times overall!

I hope everyone enjoys the show!

[countdownfan]

I am a new listener to the station. I have only heard the last two shows. I was sad about the month off until I see that there are marathons of the shows and that in another week, reruns are starting of the show on weekdays. I am happy about that as it is a great show! Great job WBME!

By the way, I also like that 60's countdown they also air. Some talented people doing these shows!

[dukedeb]

It just so happens that the 'talented people' that do these countdowns is one and the same person...Jeff Michaels! Getting ready to hear his CRSC in a half hour.

[Jeff Michaels]

Its not on until about 8 or so.

[dukedeb]

This will be a partial critique of the show for 11/30/74. I heard part of the show this time after hearing the whole show back in November.
Since I didn't hear the whole show, I won't list the numbers before the songs.

BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE...Jethro Tull...the progressive rock titans stepped out of their zone a bit for this one and got a pop hit out of it as a result

LIFE IS A ROCK...Reunion...the song whose lyrics cannot be deciphered by ear alone and a great idea for a song

JAZZMAN...Carole King...her best song since the Tapestry album

WILLIE AND THE HAND JIVE...Eric Clapton...after covering a Bob Marley tune with "I Shot the Sheriff", he covers a Johnny Otis tune from 1958 here

SOMEBODY'S BABY...Jackson Browne....part of the guest artist profile, this was quite different from his material from 1974 as it came from 1982 and the Fast Times at Ridgemont High movie

MUST HAVE GOT LOST...J. Geils Band...the master of funk rock with their best song before "Come Back" in 1980

VOODOO CHILD...Jimi Hendrix....a bonus track that was a great selection as the signature song for Jimi and the long version was an added bonus

NOBODY...Doobie Brothers...re-released single originally on their 1971 debut album features Tom Johnston on vocals and is a decent song

DON'T CALL US, WE'LL CALL YOU...Sugarloaf....phone numbers for CBS Records and the White House bookend this gem from the guys whose fave song of mine is "Green Eyed Lady" in 1970

AINT TOO PROUD TO BEG...Rolling Stones...this covers the Temptations song and shows the bluesy side of the Stones that differentiated more than anything else the Stones from the Beatles IMO

WHATEVER GETS YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT...John Lennon...speaking of the Fab Four, here is one of them with a song from his last album before his 5 year hiatus

JUNIOR'S FARM...Paul McCartney & Wings...no hiatus for Sir Paul, this is one of my faves of his and features "Sally G" on the B side

FOX ON THE RUN...Sweet....the original album track was played and this is streamlined compared to the single version recorded a year later, good to hear it

YOU AINT SEEN NOTHIN YET...Bachman-Turner Overdrive...the best stutterer in rock, Randy Bachman, made a name for himself with this song and it also featured a hit on the B side, "Freewheelin"

FREE BIRD...Lynyrd Skynyrd...southern rock anthem that is the signature song from maybe the signature southern rock band, played the long version

RED...King Crimson...an instrumental that is the title track from their newly released album...guitar dominant

At this point, the stream cut off.

[Jeff Michaels]

Jazzman & Life Is A Rock??? I didn't play those...

[Jeff Michaels]

After giving it some thought, I've decided to retire this show. If WLLW sells it, it will resume, though not on here, it'd then be on there.

One reason is that I didn't get alot done in February in the way of what I needed to do, mainly because I was quite sick all month. But I have other interests and things I'd like to accomplish.

HOWEVER, there will be a few CRSC specials in the coming months that were in the planning stages and will see the light of day at some point.

But it for now is on the shelf in the way of being a weekly show. For now, we will be airing reruns on weekdays and there is something special coming to the schedule beginning in May.......

[dukedeb]

You did a great job on the shows you recorded. I hope you are able to get a sponsor one of these days and get that countdown on the air. Just know that you did all you could to get the show sponsored.

[Jeff Michaels]

Thank you dukedeb!

[franky]

Feb 19, 2012 21:12:46 GMT -5 dukedeb said:

You did a great job on the shows you recorded. I hope you are able to get a sponsor one of these days and get that countdown on the air. Just know that you did all you could to get the show sponsored.

Ditto on that!! I know it's not the 60s, but you would be a perfect replacement for those annoying VJ's on the 80s show on SXM. Their time is up already!!! Time to bring in fresh new blood like you Jeff!!!!

[jlthorpe]

Feb 19, 2012 21:12:46 GMT -5 dukedeb said:

You did a great job on the shows you recorded. I hope you are able to get a sponsor one of these days and get that countdown on the air. Just know that you did all you could to get the show sponsored.

I agree. It was especially nice to hear songs in the countdown that are ignored by today's classic rock and hard rock music formats.

By the way, where did you get the number jingles from ("Number 4!!!!!!")? They sound like the ones used by AT40 starting in 1984, but they sound slightly different.

[Jeff Michaels]

I honestly can't remember but its not from AT40.

[Jeff Michaels]

To answer a question publicly that someone PM'ed me about:

Here are the songs used as theme music:

Intro to show/Closing Music:
Blood Sweat & Tears- Smiling Phases (Horns intro)
Black Oak Arkansas- Moonshine Sonata (Remixed Version)

Break Bumper Music:
Captain Beyond: Evil Men

End Of Hour Music:
The Guess Who: Love & A Yellow Rose